Mick Farren Dies After Collapsing On Stage In London

Mick Farren, lead singer for the Deviants, collapsed on stage last night (July 27) in London. He passed away shortly thereafter.

According to his Facebook page, Farren was making a rare live appearance with a new lineup of the Deviants for the Atomic Sunshine Festival at the Borderline Club in London when he collapsed on stage during his performance. He was later pronounced dead.

Farren was the founder and leader of the anarchistic rock and roll band, which formed in 1967. They released three classic LPs from 1967 through 1969, 'Ptoof!', 'Disposable,' and '3.' Influenced by the likes of the Mothers Of Invention and the Doors, the Deviants were part of a small but powerful UK underground music scene in the late '60s that also included the likes of the Pink Fairies and Hawkwind.

Farren was a creation unto himself. Part hippie, part beatnik, part punk, part poet, part rocker, he was a genuine icon amongst the rock and roll underground of the '60s and '70s. He was associated with everyone from the Hells Angels to Jerry Rubin. His activism was tempered with realism, and he was never afraid to speak his mind. "We won't save our civilization, we might save our planet, we might save our species," Farren told the audience during a legendary appearance on the David Frost Show in 1970. "That's what we're concerned with...that's all."

After the Deviants split, Farren made a handful of solo records including an EP for Stiff Records and a single for the New York based Ork, both in 1977. His 1978 album 'Vampires Stole My Lunch Money' included a cast of characters including Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, Pink Fairies members Larry Wallis and Paul Rudolph, as well as a yet-unknown Chrissie Hynde. He also worked with kindred spirit Wayne Kramer of the MC5.

During the '70s and beyond, music would take a back seat to his other passion, writing. He penned over twenty books, both fiction and non fiction, during his career, including such notables as 'Give The Anarchist A Cigarette' and 'The Black Leather Jacket.' In addition, he was a journalist for the International Times (the UK underground bible of the era) and later the New Music Express.

Hear 'Let's Loot The Supermarket' by Mick Farren